My Home Gym

Over the years I’ve collected several pieces of equipment that I’ve used to enable a wide variety of exercises at home. I’ve listed them below for reference, and noted related posts which mention them:

Chin up / Pull up bar – I came up with ten exercises to do on one of these. I typically install this in the doorway going to the bathroom so I will pass by it often and swing for fun.

I also bought a ‘portable’ one for my oldest son which doesn’t require screws, but it is not secure over his door since there is a vent on the wall right above his doorframe which prevents a snug fit.

Parallettes – I use these currently to work on my pike compressions, going from L to straddle L and back. I have also used them for handstand pushups. The ones I have are made of PVC pipes similar to this DIY guide to make your own, but I won them in a facebook promotion from American Gymnast.

Yoga blocks and Stretch Straps – I use the blocks for helping to stretch all parts of my legs and perform a hip flexor routine. My oldest son uses the straps to stretch with me.

Rebound AIR Trampoline – I’ve had mine for about 8 years now and it still works great – I use it everyday, and my kids enjoy it too. I’ve bought other cheap brands before and the springs didn’t hold up, but this brand really does. It’s a good pick me up if I’m feeling tired or frustrated and overwhelmed about something, and helps wake me up in the morning. A trampoline can be used in the vertical jumps section of DIY Crossfit Home Workouts for Busy Moms.

Gymnastics Mushroom – I thought I was going to use this everyday when I bought it but got discouraged after figuring out I had to warm up for a good 20 minutes beforehand to avoid hurting my wrists. My kids were rough on it when I first bought my mushroom (markers, pencils, fingernails, etc.) so I keep it in my room and only set it up when I’m ready to use it. It’s my toy, not theirs. 🙂

Bungee Cords – I use these to do shoulder exercises as well as assist in bridge stretching. I had to buy more recently because one of my kids broke the two I had while trying to figure out how far they would stretch.

Folding Mat – My wife bought me a mat like this from Ikea, but the next one I buy will likely be cheaper from Amazon with free prime delivery. I have no rips or tears in the vinyl yet but it’s only a matter of time (again, my kids play rough with my toys). There are already various colors of marks on it (pencil, pen, marker, highlighter, and who knows what else).

Free Weights – I use some weights I found rusting in my grandfather in law’s backyard, but if my kids ever figure out how to break them I’ll likely buy a set of light dumbells. I use these for shoulder mobility work as well as weighted hurdler stretches, jefferson curls, and core work.